Tablet-assembling device.



l. P. REMINGTON.

TABLET ASSEMBLING DEVICE.

APPLICATI ON FILED JAN. 22. 8915-.

Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

1. P. REMINGTON.

TABLET ASSEMBLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-22.1915.

1 ,277, 1 2'1, Patented Aug. 27, 191&

5 SHEETSSHEET 2 .J. P. REMINGTON.

'TABLET ASSEMBLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22. 19:5.

' 1,277,121. Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Z3 Zia 2:395.-

J. P. REMINGTON.

TABLET ASSEMBLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22. 1,9!5.

l ,277, 1 2 1 Patented Aug. 27, 1918..

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PERCY REMINGTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TABLET-ASSEMBLING DEVICE.

Original application flied April 1, 1918, Serial No, 758,237. Divided and this application 1915. Serial No.8,805. i

To all whom it may concern: 3

Be it known that I, JOSEPH, PERoY'RnM- INGTON, a citizen of the United States, I'GSlding in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Tablet-As sembling Devices, (bein a division of my application for patent filed April 1, 1913, Serial No. 758,237,) of which the followlng is a specification.

One objectof my invention is to prov1de a device for sorting and're-arranging tablets delivered in mass to ahopper, so that they will be discharged in straight lines each containing a predetermined number ready for insertion in a box or package.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above noted type with I novel means for continuously assembling predetermined numbers of tablets 1n the form of successive charges for filling boxes carried by a suitable magazlne, said 1nv ention contemplating means for separating the powder and broken tablets from the perfeet tablets prior to their assembly.

The invention further lncludes novel means for receiving a mass of tablets and thereafter assembling and condensing them so that they are delivered in the form of a series of rows each consisting of a predetermined number of tablets ying parallel with each other.

These objects and other advantageous. ends I .secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1 and 1 together are a side tablet assembling device, the latter being taken on the line 0-0, Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the tablet condensing device.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2'7, 1918.

filed. January 22,

Fig. 8 is a vertical section illustrating a detail of the invention.

Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views illustrating the detail construction of the tablet transferrin mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a sectlon on the line [2-5, Fig. 3, and

Fig. 12 is a fragemntary vertical section further illustratin the detail construction of certain parts 0 my invention.-

In the above drawings 6 represents a table for the reception of tablets as they are delivered from a tablet making machine or other source of supply, and this is provided with a erforated plate 7, set flush with its top sur ace and having mounted under it a drawer 8 in position to catch dust or small broken pieces separating from the massof tablets on the table, it being understood that the latter are agitated or moved by the operator over said plate prior to their delivery to a chute 9. This chute projects above the table surface at the sides and back of the opening formed therein for its reception and extends downwardly below the table where its lower end is slidably engaged by the upper end of a hollow arm or conduit 20. The lower end of this arm is provided with a lateral cylindrical extension 21 on which is journaled one end of an elongated oscillatory container 19, which -at its forward end is hinged or pivoted to a supporting frame 14 by means of a pivot spindle or pin 22, the arrangement being such that the tablets delivered to the hollow arm 20 find their way into the container 19, through the lateral extension 21 which has an inclined deflecting portion 21*" to facilitate this movement of the tablets. The ends of the container 19 are preferably rounded or made semi-cylindrical in section as shown in Fig. 3, and its bottom, though cut away at the middle, has portions 23 and 24 at its opposite ends on which the tablets may temporarily rest.

Below the bottom and permanently attached in any suitable manner to the body,

of the container 19 is an assembling trough 25 consistin of a shallow box within which are mounte two series of thin vertically set parallel iplates or partitions 26 and 27 ex-' tending om one end of said trough to the are all saidcontainer as indicated at 28 Fig. 5 the extenslons of alternate ones of sai plates 27 being gradually inclined upwardlyfrom the edge of the bottom part 24 and thereafter descending abruptly to the closed end 29 of the trough 25, while the remainder'. are inclined upwardly .with comparative abruptness from the part 24 and thereafter; toward the end 29 of said? descend gradually trough. j

A. condensing and delivery trough 30 extends downwardly 22, which with it is rigidly v the frame, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and

this trough consists of an inclined plate havwhile parallel at the upconverge as they aping sides 31,which per end of said plate, proach the lower end thereof, until their distance apart is equal to the length of each of the rows of tablets which the'boxes to be filled are designed to'receive. Thereafter for a short distance the lower portions of the side members 31 are parallel (Fig. 4).,

and as shown in Fig. 8, may be moved to-: ward or from each other by means of ad-{ justing screws 31 to accommodate different thicknesses of tablets. The lowest parts of the side members 31 are connected by a tab let retaining plate 32 which is rigidly attached to one of said members and movably engaged with the other, so as to permit of said adjustment.

Mounted within and fixed to the bottom of the trough 30 is a series of parallel, relatively thin vertical plates 32 of which that lying in the middle longitudinal plane of the trough is the longest, (Fig.7). The plates on either side of'this middle plate successively decrease in length until the shortest terminates in the neighborhood of the po nt of junction of the upper part of the side 31- with the inclined portion whlch'forms its continuation. It will be notedthat the design of the side members of the trough 30 and the lengths and proportlons of the d vision plates 32 will depend upon the d1- mensions of the tablets to be assembled and condensed into rows, although it must be such as tov prevent one or more of the tab-- etting between any two lets of any row of the tablets of a ower. row. and thus wedg-. ing 01 jamming so as to prevent their downward flow or movement under the action of gravity. t

It is noted that there is such a number of the plates or partitions 32 as to provide the same number of lines of movement for tablets in an edgewise position, as there are tablets to be placed in each box to be filled,

of one of the tablets. plates 32 of the condensing-trough have their upper ends curved concentrica from the hinge or pivot. supported by;

' i,avr,1at

and in the present instance there are eighteen such feedin channels. By means hereafter described, t e lowermost lines or rows of assembled tablets are successively removed and the inclination of the delivery trough 30 is such that after each such removal, the mass of tablets therein moves downwardly for a distance equal .to' the length of an edge The partitions or I 1y with the pivot or hmge pin'22 as well as with the plates 26 and 27, which lie respectively in the same planes as said plates 32 and have ,theiradjacent ends undercut '(also preferably concentrically. with-the hinge pin 22) so as .to respectively; receive the ends of the plates 32 when the; container 19-is oscillated on said hinge pinfi a, Y

- By meansof his tablet assembling. and condensing mechanism successive rows or lines of tablets are delivered to the lower end of the trough 30,. where the lowermost row is-brought to rest on the surface of a cylindrically curved plate .33 which passes under the lower end of said trough and at one edge terminates immediately adjacent a rotating magazine 34. Concentric with the curved surface of the plate 33 I provide a cross shaft 33 properly supported in bearings in the side members 14 of the frame and carrying two parallel arms 35 connected at their outer ends by a cross bar 36 Whose innermost edge is parallel with and immediatelv adjacent the outer curved surface of the plate 33. Mounted on and extending rearwardly from this cross bar 36 is a second curved plate 37 whose outer surface is preferably spaced away from the outer surface of thefirst plate 33, with which it is parallel, by a distance substantially equal to the width or breadth of one row of tablets, so that when the shaft 38 is actuated to move the arms 35 with the cross bar 36 and plate 37 toward the magazine 34, said plate and bar carry with them the lowermost row of tablets indicated at w and slidably support the next lower row, which is held by the bridge piece 32 from being drawn out when the first row is removed. For oscillating the shaft-38 I provide it with a crank arm 39 connected to any suitable source of power, whereby under operating conditions it is .periodically actuated.

application for U. S. patent -filed by me April 1, 1913,Serial No. 758,237,'of which.

this application is a division.

From Figs. 9 and 10, it will be seen that each,of the arms 35 on the shaft 38 has fixed to it, adjacent said shaft, a radially extending spring stri fixed a beveled lock 73 PIOJBCtlDg over the adjacent end of the curved plate 37.- The.

beveled portions of these blocks are so placed that when said plate occupies the position shown in Fig. 10, with its front edge to the rear of the plane of the bottom of the delivery trough 30, said blocks engage the sides 31 of said trough and thereby separate the strips 72. These latter carry for-.

wardly projecting spring fingers 74' which are thus temporarily moved apart so that a row of tablets is free to slide between them i 20 on to the fixed curved plate 33.

As the shaft 38 is turned to move the, .plate 37 toward the magazine 34, the beveled blocks 73 are moved out of engagement with the sides of the trough, thereby permitting the spring strips 72 to press the fingersL74 into engagement with the row of "tablets,

' and hold them in a line as they are moved over the fixed plate 33.

Under operating conditions themagazine 34 is intermittently turned through a predetermined are equal to the angular distance between the center lines of two adjacent box holding recesses,- .and is locked from turning while it is not in movement, by suitable the mass of irregularly disposed tablets is alternately caused'to slide from one end of said container to the other.

Obviously, however, when said tablets strike the upwardly projecting. edges 28 of the strips or partitions 27, certain of them are necessarily tilted from'a horizontal to an inclined position, and partly under the action of gravity as well as: a result of the movement of the container, they fall between these strips, sooner or later assuming 'edgewise or vertical positions. As the container 19 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 3.to that shown in Fig. 1, all of those tablets which have assumed .edgewise ositions and are resting on-the bottom 0 thesupplementary or assembling trough 25,

' slide toward the hinge 22 under the false bottom 24, and more or less of them pass 72, on whose outer end isinto the guideways formed by the strips or partitions 32 of the delivery trough 30. It maybe noted that the end of the assembling trough 25,.farthest away from the hinge 22,

is referably perforated or slotted at one end as indicated at 29 to permit of the 'escape of dust and small particles of broken tablets.

The tablets delivered to the trough 30 (Fig. 7 ),,slide down the guideways therein until the lower and middle portions of said trough are filled with horizontally extending rows of tablets, though if desired, in starting the machine, this "trough may be manually filled with tablets in the positions indicated in' dotted lines, and thereafter the continued oscillation of the container 19 will at all'times maintain the guideways filled.

In the operation of the machine, the tablets are removed from the lower end of this delivery or condensing trough 30 in successive rows, and each time a row is removed, all of the remaining tablets move down- Wardly a distance equal to the length of the side of one tablet, it being noted that the various strips or partitions 32 so direct the tablets that as they move down, they are gradually caused to approach each other until, after passing the longest and central intervening spaces. With m peculiar constructlon and arrangement 0 the partitions,

partition, they lie in compact rowswithout the tablets at the outer ends of each row are first brought into engagement with each other and as they move down, the partitions are gradually omitted beginning with the outermost pairs, until finally the two middle tablets of the row are allowed to engage each other, thus completing the condensing of said row. I

The lowermost row of tablets in the trough 30 rests directly upon the upper surface of the fixed curved plate 33 Fig. 9), and atv the beginning of a cycle of operations, ,the movable plate 37 lies to the rear of this row. Thereafter when this plate is moved toward the magazine by its operating mechanism, this bottom row of tablets is moved from under the next upper row (which is held from dislacement-bythe bridge piece. 32) and is t ereafter' immediately clamped in a horizontal column by the spring fingers 74, so that its constituent pieces maintain a perfect alinement. By the movement ofthis plate, the row of tablets is finally delivered into the n'iagazine,

it being noted that as said plate thus moves,

.its curved top serves to prevent the succeeding row from falling. The sprmg fingers 74 remain in gripping engagement with the tablets as these are moved forward and the outwardly curved ends of said fingers slide over the ends of the Box in the magazine while the tablets enter the same. As the plate is returned to its initial position, after having delivered airow of tablets, the beveled blocks 70. strike the sides 31' of the delivery trough moving the spring strips 72 with the fingers 74 away from each other so that when the plate reaches its extreme rear position, the. row of tablets heretofore held up by it is permitted to freely drop on to the plate 33; the various series of tablets in the trough immediately moving; downwardly as above described.

It is to be understood that while in the foregoing description I have referred to tablets as the articles assembled and placed in boxes or packages carried by the magazine, bodies having other forms may be operated on Without departing from oressentially modifying my invention. In some cases single objects having the overall dimensions of a row in the magazme or I cla1m:

or tablets may be placed boxes carried thereby.

1. Tablet assembling mechanism including a pivotally mounted container having a side opening adjacent its pivot; a receiving conduit connected to said opening; a series of partitions in ing tablet collecting channels; means for receiving the tablets from said channels; and means for oscillating the container on its pivot.

2. Tablet ing tion of its bottom cut away and provided with a supplementary tablet receiving extension under said bottom; a series of substantially parallel partitions placed to receive tablets from the body of the container; and a condensing trough placed to receive tablets collecting in the channels formed by the partitions; with assembling mechanism iiicludmeans-for alternately moving the container into and out of a position in which tablets pass from it into said condensing trough.

3. An oscillatory container having a supplementary extension to its bottom and. provided with a cover for a part of said extension; substantially parallel partitions mounted in the said extension and projecttitions mounted thereinceiving channels, the,height of certain of partitions; the abruptly 1 the container forman oscillatory container having a porin said extension ing to varying heights in the container; with'means for receiving rows of tablets from the channels formed by said partitions when said container is moved in one direction.

4. Tablet assembling mechanism including an oscillatory container; a series of parto form tablet resaid partitions increasingabruptly from one end and thereafter gradually decreasing to the other end; With means for receiving rows of tablets from the channels formed by said partitions.

5. Tablet assembling mechanism including an"oscillatory container; a series of partitions mounted therein to form tablet receiving channels, the height of certain of said partitions increasing abruptly from one end and thereafter gradually decreasing to the other end; and means for receiving rows of tablets from the channels formed by said inclined ends of said partitions being adjacent opposite ends of the container.

6. The combination of a carrier for empty boxes; tablet assembling mechanism including an inclined delivery trough; a

curved plate extending upwardly from the trough to the carrier; and an oscillatory member supported concentrically with the curved plate for successively transferring rows of tablets from thetrough to boxes in the carrier.

" 7. Tablet assembling mechanism including a feed chute; an oscillatory container;

a conduit connected to deliver to the consposed alternately tainer in the general line of the axis of oscillation of the latter and having sliding engagement with said chute; and means in the container for arranging the tablets in lines when said container is moved.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. JOSEPH PERCY REMINGTON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, WM. A. BARR. 

